Citation

Ashour A, Cameron P, Bernard S, Fitzgerald M, Smith K, Walker T. Emerg. Med. Australas. 2007; 19(2): 163-168.

Affiliation

Emergency and Trauma Centre, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1742-6723.2007.00948.x

PMID

17448104

Abstract

Objective: To identify potentially preventable prehospital deaths following traumatic cardiac arrest. Methods: Deaths following prehospital traumatic cardiac arrest during 2003 were reviewed in the state of Victoria, Australia. Possible survival with optimal bystander first-aid and shorter ambulance response times were identified. Injury Severity Scores (ISS) were calculated. Victims with an ISS <50 and signs of life were reviewed for potentially preventable factors contributing to death including signs of airway obstruction, excessive bleeding and/or delayed ambulance response times. Results: We reviewed 112 cases that had full ambulance care records, hospital records and autopsy details in Victoria 2003. Most deaths involved road trauma and 55 victims had an ISS <50. Twelve patients received first-aid from bystanders. Ambulance response times >10 min might have contributed to five deaths with an ISS <25. Conclusion: Five (4.5%) potentially preventable prehospital trauma deaths were identified. Three deaths potentially involved airway obstruction and two involved excessive bleeding. There is a case for increased awareness of the need for bystander first-aid at scene following major trauma.

Language: en